March 6, 2007
Women’s Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAURA RUDOLPHI NAMED PRAIRIE FARMS SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ST. LOUIS – Indiana State junior center Laura Rudolphi has been named the Prairie Farms Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year following a standout season for the native of Carlyle, Ill. She was the lone unanimous pick on the five-member Missouri Valley Conference Scholar Athlete First Team.

Also earning All-MVC Scholar Athlete First Team honors was senior Rachel Maenpaa (Watertown, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) and placing on the second team was Leah Phillips (Newburgh, Ind./Castle).

Joining Rudolphi on the Valley Scholar-Athlete squad were Maenpaa, Missouri State’s Tahnee Balerio, Evansville’s Rebekah Parker and Lindsay Whorton of Drake.

Rudolphi, who carries a 4.0 GPA in Business Insurance, averages 14.3 points (seventh-best in the Valley) as well as 7.1 rebounds (fourth-best in the Valley) per game. She owns an Indiana State career record 102 blocked shots and her 37 blocks this year are second-most in the history of the program.

Rudolphi posted a career-best total of 23 points against both Missouri State and Evansville this season. She recorded a career-best 12 rebounds in a 76-66 road victory over Illinois State. Rudolphi reached double figures scoring in 17-of-18 Missouri Valley Conference games. Earlier this season, she was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team as well as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V First Team.

Maenpaa holds a 3.63 GPA in English, and is averaging 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this year. In the regular season finale, Maenpaa posted a career-high 32 points as the Sycamores downed Drake on the road.

She scored 23 points at No. 12 Vanderbilt, and completed back-to-back 10-of-17 shots from the field games to score 25 points and nine rebounds in an 84-67 win over Drake.

Her .479 career field goal percentage ranks tenth-best in the history of the program. Maenpaa ranks in the Top 12 in The Valley for both rebounds and points. She has played in 121 career games, which is second-most ever by a Sycamore women’s basketball player.

Phillips, carries a 3.96 GPA in Radio/TV/Film. She averages 9.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Phillips has hit 64 3-pointers on the year, hitting 42.7% of shots. She currently ranks third in the Valley in both 3-pointers made per game and 3-point field goal percentage.

Indiana State returns to action on Friday in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Drake Knapp Center when they take on the Creighton Bluejays. Tip-off is set for 9:35 p.m. (ET).

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